Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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98. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to outline his engagement with disabled persons’ organisations concerning legislation regulating e-scooters. [6186/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government is committed to legislating for electric scooters. The Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021, now before the Seanad, includes provisions to allow for the regulation of e-scooters. The Bill defines a new category of vehicle in the Road Traffic Act, 1961, powered personal transporters or PPTs, which will include e-scooters. This will enable me to put regulations in place to govern the safe use of e-scooters. E-scooters which meet the criteria established will become legal to use on the introduction of regulations governing technical requirements and their use on public roads.

A public consultation was carried out in 2019, during the term of the previous Government. Disability representative organisations were specifically invited to make a submission as part of the consultation and any concerns raised were taken into consideration in preparing a usage policy.

Road safety stakeholders were again asked for submissions in February 2021, and disability representative organisations were included in that call for submissions. Concerns were taken on board by my officials when making policy and drafting proposed legislation.

From time to time my department receives correspondence on this issue from disability representative organisations. Any issues raised are considered in the context of development of policy and legislation for the use of e-scooters on public roads.